Unexpected and New
by Squirmy McCoy
Summary: Created for the fairy tale challenge; loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. Zane figures it out and gives the 5 a choice, blackmail, or send Jo to stay with him in his cabin for a month.
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: This story was created for the fairy tale challenge. I apologize in advance for the silliness.

_Once upon a time, five friends were transported into the past. When they returned to the present, they discovered that they had accidentally changed things. Four of them were content, even happy with the changes in their lives. But the fifth could only grieve for what she'd lost. Her friends watched her and worried._

Jo shut her front door and stretched. It was time for her morning run. She jogged slowly for a bit, and picked up speed as she got closer to town. She ran the same route every morning. It was getting boring, but she'd run every route the town had a hundred times. Sometimes she felt like her boredom with running was a metaphor for the town. It seemed like the same things happened every day. Disaster, everyone ran around in a panic, and then she or Carter or Henry or Zane saved the day. She loved Eureka; this had been one of the greatest opportunities of her life. But ever since Founder's day…. She cut off that thought before it began.

She rounded the corner and jogged down main street to a chorus of "Good morning, Jo!" She raised a hand in greeting and sped up to avoid having to talk to Vincent. He was still trying to get her to gossip about what had happened between Zoe and Zane before she left to go back to Harvard. She didn't know anyway. She had avoided Zane ever since that day at the sheriff's office and when Zoe had come home a few days later with angry eyes and pinched lips, Jo didn't press her for the reason why. Maybe she should have, but it was too late now.

She ran past the quadruplets, several children discussing calculus, Café Diem, and the sheriff's office. Jo shook her head. Some days she really missed working with Carter. There was no one to talk to at GD; everyone was either subordinate to her, scared of her, or way more intelligent than her. Well, there was Allison, Henry, and Grace, but they were all busy with work and their significant others. And she wouldn't encourage Fargo by engaging him. He still gave her puppy dog eyes every now and then.

Her phone buzzed. Speak of the devil. "What is it, Fargo?"

His voice was high with anxiety. "Jo, we have a situation. I need you down here now."

"Can it wait for me to change?"

"Not really."

Jo sighed. It was a good thing she kept a spare outfit in her office. "On my way." She turned around and ran back to the Sheriff's office. She opened the door. "Carter?" She walked into the office. Andy was sitting at her – his desk.

He looked up and smiled at her. "Good morning, Ms. Lupo. What can I do for you?"

"Andy, there's an emergency at GD. Can I borrow your car?"

Andy cocked his head and toned down his smile. "Gee, I'm sorry Ms. Lupo, but I need my vehicle. I'll be happy to drop you off at your place so you can pick up yours."

Jo rolled her eyes. Folksy robots were annoying. "Thank you, Andy, I would appreciate that." She walked back outside and got in the car.

Andy got in the driver's side and pushed the button to start the car. "I wonder if you would like to talk about what happened with Mr. Donovan a few months ago."

"No, I wouldn't." Jo crossed her arms and looked out the window. "Would you mind speeding up a bit? Fargo said it was an emergency."

"I am going the posted speed limit." The android reached over and patted her knee. "I think of you as a friend and I hope you think of me similarly. I have found that sometimes it helps to talk to a friend when you are upset or confused about something."

"No offense, Andy, but your girlfriend is the biggest gossip in town. I'd rather not have the whole town know my business." They drove in silence for a few minutes. Andy pulled in her driveway. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride." Andy saluted her and drove off. Jo looked up at her house, thinking longingly of the shower, then got in her car and headed to GD.

When she walked into her office, she shut and locked the door, stripping off her workout clothes. She walked to the armoire in the corner and opened the drawer containing her extra set of clothing and a towel. Jo wiped off her face and made sure her body was dry before getting dressed. She put her running shoes back on and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. She opened the door to see Grace standing there.

"Hey, I'm on my way to Fargo's office."

Grace nodded. "I know. I came to get you." She looked worried.

Jo walked faster. "What happened?"

"Trouble." The two women rounded the corner and Grace opened Fargo's door. Carter, Allison, and Henry were standing just inside and Fargo was pacing the floor.

"What –" she began and then she saw Zane. He was sitting in Fargo's chair, feet up on the desk. Sonic protocols were engaged, according to the computer behind him.

She looked at Grace. She walked over to her husband and clutched his hand. Henry said, "He knows. He knows everything. I don't know how –"

Zane sat up, dropping his feet to the floor. "It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is what happens now."

Jo looked around the room. Fargo was pacing and muttering, "oh crap oh crap oh crap!" Henry and Grace held hands. Allison was standing stock still with her arms crossed and Carter was standing protectively behind her. She turned back and looked at Zane. "So what happens now?" she asked quietly.

"Well, there are some pretty nasty repercussions for people who violate time travel laws. If you want me to keep my mouth shut, you might have to pay a pretty heavy price." Zane smirked at her.

Jo closed her eyes and resisted the urge to strangle him. She turned back to Fargo. "Why aren't we just dropping him down that very deep hole in section 13?"

Zane answered, "Because I have proof hidden somewhere that will be found if I just disappear." He leaned back in the chair and put his feet up again. "So I have a proposition to make. Either the 6 of you will be jumping when I call for a very long time, or Jo-Jo here can come up to my cabin and stay with me for a month."

"What?" They all looked at him in shock.

He smiled. "Unfortunately, I don't know quite everything. And I want to hear the rest from Jo. I'd also like the chance to prove to her that I'm not a jackass."

Carter snorted. "You're sure going the right way about it." They all looked at each other.

Jo cleared her throat. "If I do what you want, do you swear that it ends there? No more blackmail, and no mention of it to anyone ever again?"

Allison leaned over and touched her arm. "Jo, you don't have to do this. I'm sure there's another way."

"Nope, no other way." Zane shook his head. "Yes, Jo, I promise that if you do what I ask, I will keep your secret, no blackmail, no threats."

Before anyone else could try to talk her out of it, she said, "Fine. Are we done here?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked out of the room and back to her office. As she reached her door, Carter caught up with her.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jo?" Carter's forehead was wrinkled with worry.

Jo managed a smile. "Why not? Maybe this will help me get over him once and for all. Anyway, it's not like he can take advantage of me. You know I could break his arm without blinking." She sat down at her desk and turned on the computer.

Carter sat down across from her. "Jo. Come on, talk to me."

She looked at him and looked down at her hands. "This is all my fault, Carter," she said softly. "If I could have kept it together, he wouldn't have guessed anything."

"You don't know that. Zane is a genius, remember? We all slipped up and any one of our mistakes could have led to this."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was me." She looked up at Carter again. "I threw the engagement ring at him. I thought he was a hallucination, but it was him. And then after the incident with Grant and Allison…. He… he cornered me and told me he knew something was up." And then he kissed me, she thought, trying not to remember how good it felt.

"Oh, Jo." Carter got up and walked around her desk. He gripped her hands and pulled her up into a hug. She wrapped her arms around the man who'd been a surrogate father to her and tried not to cry. "The last few months have been hell on you, Jo," he murmured into her hair. "This isn't your fault." He held her until she pulled away.

"Don't worry about me, Carter. I'll be fine." She sat back down and typed in her password. She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Go on; go protect the town from itself." She opened up her email and started reading. She heard Carter's footsteps retreating and when she was sure he was gone, she crossed her arms on her desk and lay her head on them. What did I just do?

Jo went through the rest of the day in a daze. She tried to keep herself occupied, but her brain didn't want to comply. Was she doing the right thing or had she torpedoed herself even more? Or was she hoping that this would turn into some fairy tale where Zane kissed her again, he remembered their life together, and happily ever after ensued?

As she was packing up, Zane stepped into her office. "You ready to go, Lupo?"

"What? Now?" She looked at him in shock.

"Yes now. Fargo was kind enough to put us both on leave starting tomorrow. I'll meet you at your place in an hour. No tech and no weapons." He smiled at her and walked away. Jo shook her head. Arrogant pain in the ass. She grabbed her bag and shut down her computer. She stepped out of her office and closed the door. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fargo walking towards her, see her, and then turn around and walk quickly in the other direction. He must be feeling guilty. I'll let him simmer until I come back. Maybe I can get a raise out of him. She smirked. Now I'm thinking like Zane.


	2. Chapter 2

At home, Jo threw clothes into a suitcase. She pulled a couple of books off the shelf and tossed them in, too. Zane thought he had the upper hand; well, she wasn't going to let him think that for very long. There was a knock at the door. He's early, she thought, and opened it to reveal Vincent and a pile of bags. "Hey, Jo, where do you want all this food?"

She opened her mouth, closed it, and sighed. "Put it in the trunk, Vince."

"Oh! Going away on a trip, are we?" Vincent elbowed her and grinned.

"You could say that." She popped the trunk on her car and started loading the bags. She heard Zane's motorcycle pull up. Vincent dropped the bag he was holding and picked it up again quickly to cover his surprise.

"Hey, Vince, that was fast." Zane walked up with his helmet under his arm.

Vincent stood up and smiled at the taller man. "I never expected to see _you_ here, Zane. Are the two of you… going on a business trip?" Vincent was practically exploding with curiosity.

"You could say that. " Zane smiled. He looked over at Jo. "I'll help Vince with this so you can finish packing."

"I'm done," she said curtly and walked back into the house. She zipped up her suitcase and carried it out to the car. She opened the rear door and dropped it on the seat. Jo turned back to Zane. "Am I following you?"

He nodded and turned to Vincent. "Thanks again, Vince, your service is amazing as usual."

Vincent smiled hugely. "My pleasure. Bye, Zane, Jo." He got back into his car and drove away.

Zane turned to Jo, looking sheepish all of a sudden. Then he shook his head. "Let's go."

Jo started her car and followed Zane out of town. She was glad that they didn't have to go through the main part of town. It was bad enough that Vincent knew; having to deal with everyone staring at her would be a million times worse and she would probably lose her nerve. The road started to wind through the forest once they'd passed the last houses. She thought about Lojack and how they used to watch for him out here, but in this timeline, Taggart had taken him when he left for the Arctic.

They drove for about an hour. Jo tried to listen to music, but nothing good was on and she hadn't brought her mp3 player due to the "no tech" rule. She gripped the steering wheel tightly and scanned the road ahead. Finally, Zane turned down a long dirt road. It was surprisingly smooth, but then if Zane drove here all the time on a motorcycle, she could see why he didn't want ruts in the road. Finally, the trees opened up into a clearing and she saw the cabin. It was a one story building painted brown with blue trim. Zane dismounted and ran up the steps. He beckoned to Jo as he opened the door. Jo turned off the engine and opened the door.

The air was crisp, colder than it was in Eureka, and smelled of pine. She stepped out of the car and looked around. There was a lake behind the house a little ways and the house was surrounded by pine, cedar, and fir trees. She hugged her arms to her body; Eureka had full climate control and it was at least 15 degrees warmer there. She'd forgotten that it was really fall out here. Jo walked up to the house and climbed the steps. Zane was kindling a fire in the living room fireplace. She watched him for a minute. She'd never seen her Zane do anything like this. Before he could turn around and look at her, she moved off to explore the house. There were two bedrooms on one side and a master on the other; it looked like Zane had claimed that for himself. She peered into the bathrooms; they looked reasonably clean. The kitchen had a gas stove and oven. No microwave, but there was a coffeemaker. There was a tiny table in a nook with a bay window that looked out on the lake.

"What do you think?" Zane walked up behind her.

"It's not what I expected." Jo rubbed her arms. "I figured you would have some kind of high tech paradise with a 1000 inch tv and robot servants."

Zane chuckled. "That's more Fargo's style. Give me your keys so I can start getting our stuff in."

Jo turned and walked towards the door. "We can get our stuff in." He had her off balance; it was time for her to regain some control. Zane shrugged and followed her. Jo pressed the trunk button and grabbed her suitcase out of the back seat. She carried it in the room with the queen size bed, opened it, and took out a sweater. She walked back outside, pulling the sweater over her head. Zane passed her with loaded arms. Jo shook her head and picked up another half dozen bags.

A few minutes later, Jo was unpacking while Zane put the groceries away. It was getting warmer in the house but she kept the sweater on. She sat down on the bed; it was pretty comfortable. There were extra linens and blankets in the closet so she was sure to be warm at night. She got up and put the last of her unmentionables away in the drawer. Then she smelled coffee. "Oh, thank god," she said and walked out through the living room into the kitchen.

Zane had mugs, cream, sugar, and sweetener out. She picked up a mug, dumped a few spoons of sugar and splashed some cream in, and then poured in the coffee. She sat down in the nook and stared out at the sunset. Zane sat down across from her, coffee in hand. They sipped in silence for a few minutes. He put down his mug. "You know, I came here on vacation as a kid. I bought this place for the nostalgia and so I could get away from Eureka and all that comes with it." He looked at her; she drank her coffee. "So, are we going to talk about this?"

"No."

"No? You can't say no. That's why you're here. To talk about what happened."

Jo put down her coffee and folded her arms. "I can say no. You said I had to come here to save everyone from eternal blackmail. You didn't say I had to talk or even be civil to you."

Zane looked angry and confused. Jo suppressed a smile. She got up, got more coffee, and sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Zane sat at the table, silently controlling his temper. "Okay," he said from where he sat, "I get that you're mad about the blackmail bit. But I didn't know what else to do. You ran from me every time I tried to talk to you."

"So this is _my_ fault?" Jo was starting to lose her temper now.

"No, that's not what I meant." Zane sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Maybe I should shut up now before I make things worse than they are."

"That's probably a good idea." Jo stared at the fire. It had been a weird day, even by Eureka standards. This Zane was even more different than she'd imagined, unless there were a lot of things she hadn't known about her Zane, too. At this point, she shouldn't be surprised. She yawned. Two cups of coffee and she was still tired. She stood up. "Is there hot water?" Zane looked up at her questioningly. "For a shower. I need a shower. Is there hot water?"

"Uh, yeah. There's hot water."

"Okay." Jo got up and walked back to her room to get pajamas and then walked into the bathroom. She opened the closet to find big, fluffy towels. Looks like Zane had been planning this for a while, she thought, remembering the fresh linens in her room. She didn't know whether to be angry or amused. She decided to be neither and turned on the shower. In a few seconds, steam started to cloud the mirror. He's got an efficient plumbing system, she mused as she tested the water. She undressed quickly and sighed with pleasure as the hot water pounded her skin.

Half an hour later, she was combing her hair in front of the fire. Zane had retreated into his room and showed no signs of coming out. Jo walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She smiled at the sight of Zane's favorite snack, olives stuffed with bleu cheese. Some things were the same. A little behind them, she could see wrapped sandwiches. She pulled out the closest one and a bottle of water and sat down at the table to eat. She gasped when she looked out the window. The sky was full of stars. Even Eureka had too much ambient light to see this much. She ate and marveled at the beauty right outside. If Zane felt as moved as she did at the sight, it was no wonder he had bought this cabin out in the middle of nowhere.

She didn't know how long she sat there, but she could tell that she was drifting. Sleep was still escaping her these days and she never stopped feeling tired. She finally got up and shuffled off to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Jo opened her eyes, confused. It took her a minute to remember where she was. And she was smelling… apple pie? She got up, tiptoed to the door, and peered around the corner. Zane was washing dishes. She stepped back and then decided to use the bathroom before going out to face him again.

"Good morning," Zane greeted her as she walked out into the living room. She got a cup of coffee and glanced over at the pie cooling on the stove. It was slightly lopsided.

"That doesn't look like one of Vincent's," she said.

"That's because it isn't. I like to cook and bake when I have time." He opened a drawer and pulled out a pie server. "Want a piece?" He cut a large slice and offered it to her. She took it, got a fork, and sat down. Zane cut another slice and sat across from her.

Jo dug out a forkful of apple and pastry and took a bite. The apples were tart and perfectly cooked and the pastry was buttery and flaky. She chewed and swallowed. "This is really good," she said appreciatively and took another bite.

Zane smiled around a mouthful. He swallowed and replied, "thank you. I was hoping you'd like it."

Jo put her fork down and looked at him. "What?" he said with his mouth full.

"Who are you? I mean, really? You switch back and forth between acting like an overconfident ass and like a more than decent person. You're a tech genius with a vacation home bordering on the Amish. And now you're baking?"

Zane swallowed. "So you don't know everything about me." He took another bite.

She picked up her fork and stabbed some apples. "I guess not."

"And I bet you didn't know that I never kissed Zoe." She could feel his eyes on her, but she stared at her plate. "That's why she was so mad at me. She tried to kiss me and I told her that I had feelings for someone else. She stormed off and refused to speak to me for about three weeks. We're friends again, by the way. She said to tell you hi." He scraped the last bits of crust off his plate and ate them.

"Wh-what?" Zoe knew about this?

"Well, she told me to tell you hi if I could ever make you stay in one place long enough to talk to me." He got up and took his plate to the sink. "I feel like going for a run. Do you want to come along? It can be pretty dangerous for someone to go out running by their lonesome out here."

Jo took another bite so she could compose herself. "Sure," she said once her mouth had cleared. "I just need to change."

"Dress warmly. It's in the low 50's out there." He pointed at the thermometer by the back door.

What the hell was going on? Zane was being very open with her. That was completely unexpected. She put her plate in the sink and changed into sweats. Zane was waiting for her in the living room. "Let's go see the jogging trail." He led the way out the back door and towards the lake. They stopped to stretch and he pointed out the trail. "It goes all the way around the lake, but I don't like cutting across other people's property. They ask too many questions and I come out here to be left alone. Follow me and I'll show you the trail I cut to get back here."

He set an easy pace at first, picking up speed after a few hundred meters. They jogged side by side. Jo listened to their feet hit the ground and Zane's deep breathing. This was… nice. She looked up at him. "Why are you acting so nice? You're practically chatty."

"You mean why am I telling you things? You said last night that you didn't come here to talk. But I did. So I'm going to talk to you. I know that you don't trust me; I figured what better way to remedy that than to tell you about me and my life. And maybe you'll want to talk after a while."

They ran in silence the rest of the way; Zane indicated the change in direction by jogging ahead a few steps and turning. The path was pretty clearly marked, but Jo could see why Zane said not to go alone. Some of the trees looked like they were about to fall and the ground by the lake was surely dangerous when wet. After about 20 minutes, Jo could see the cabin, so she slowed down to a walk to cool off. Zane jogged ahead up to the cabin. Jo stared up into the sky to avoid looking at his butt. She refused to admit to herself that she'd wanted to.

"I'm going to take a shower," Zane called from the porch. Jo nodded and continued walking slowly back to the house. She wasn't going to risk a charley horse; she didn't trust Zane enough to show pain in front of him. Plus they hurt like hell and the only thing that helped was massage. And she wasn't going to go there, either. Jo concentrated on taking deep breaths and putting one foot in front of the other. The air was crisp and clean. She smiled. Autumn was her favorite season and she hadn't had much time to be out in the fresh air since she'd become head of security.

Jo walked into the house and into her room to change. She stopped in the doorway; on her bed was a familiar lingerie box. How the hell had he gotten that past her? Well, now she knew that his "sincerity" was just an act. She turned around and stomped across the living room. His door was shut, but she could hear him talking. "I'm trying, but she doesn't seem to want to open up to me. I guess I have to keep trying."

He was talking about her. He had an accomplice! Furious, Jo started pounding on his door. Zane opened it, his hair wet and spiky from the shower. From between clenched teeth, Jo grated, "Give me my keys. I'm leaving."

"You can't leave." Zane folded his arms. "I put your keys in a time locked safe and it won't open until the month is up."

Enraged further, Jo spluttered. "You, you _took_ my keys! How _dare_ you! Listen, you, you, you asshole! I saw the box on my bed. You think I'd just fall into your arms after some sweet talking and home cooking? That I'm that desperate for you? I'd rather walk the 60 miles back to town than spend another minute in this house!"

Zane furrowed his brow in confusion and then started to laugh. Jo screamed and punched him in the face. She spun on her heel as he reeled back. She had almost reached the door, when a voice shaking with suppressed laughter from Zane's room arrested her. "You finally picked a good one, Zane."

Jo turned around slowly. Zane's door was wide open. He had flopped back on his bed, holding his eye. Walking towards her was a small plump woman with dark hair shot with grey. Her blue eyes sparkled as she held out her hand. "Pleased to finally meet you, Jo, I'm Eileen Donovan."


	4. Chapter 4

Zane hissed as Jo put the icepack against his face. His mother chuckled. "That's going to be a beautiful shiner in an hour or so."

Zane closed his eyes. "Thanks, Mom."

Jo tried not to smile at Zane's discomfort. Obviously, he'd expected his mother to be on his side, but it seemed like she wasn't interested in babying him. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I saw the box on my bed and then when you laughed at me, I lost it."

"What box?" Zane asked, exasperated.

Mrs. Donovan coughed. "I put the box on your bed. Zane had said you'd packed light and I figured you didn't bring a robe. It gets cold at night and if you take a shower, it's better if you have one to keep you warm when your hair is wet." She grinned knowingly. "So what did you think was in the box?"

Jo glanced over at Zane. He was blushing; even the tips of his ears were red. She looked up at Zane's mom and smiled back. "I thought it held a joke, as usual."

Zane's mom pushed back from the table and stood up. "Have you seen our dock on the lake? There's a beautiful view from the dock. Would you like to walk down with me? Zane will be fine by himself for a little while."

"Um, sure." She followed Mrs. Donovan out onto the back porch and down the steps. "When did you get here? I didn't see a car."

Zane's mom pointed over towards a small shed. "I got here when you were out running. I parked in there. When I leave, you should make Zane push your car in since he locked your keys away. Sometimes it storms very hard and the falling pine cones might scratch your paint." They walked down to the lake, feet crunching old pine needles. Jo looked at her surreptitiously. She could see where Zane got his eyes and his smile. His mom had a rounder face; he must look more like his father. She could also see where he got his confidence from, too.

"He got his sense of humor from me too, I'm afraid to say." She smiled at Jo's expression. "No, I can't read your mind, but I've been in your shoes a few times, wondering what kind of person his mother is and how much she'll interfere in our life."

They stepped onto the first boards of the dock. Jo looked out at the water. "We don't have a life."

"But you could have one."

Jo sighed. "What would you say if I told you that I'd already had a chance and I blew it?"

Zane's mom snorted. "I'd say that you'd be stupid if you let that stop you from trying again if it was something you really wanted." She stopped walking and turned to Jo. "What I know is this; when Zane first came to Eureka, he told me that he had met the woman of his dreams. Then he stopped talking about her and started badmouthing this woman who wouldn't give him a break. It drove him crazy; it drove me crazy to listen to him complain all the time. He wouldn't listen to my advice; but he hasn't really ever listened to me since he left. A few months ago, he stopped complaining about her. I was relieved. And then he asked me about his grandmother's ring. He wanted to know where it was. I told him it was in my jewelry box, where it had been for a while. He sounded surprised. And he wouldn't explain to me why he asked. I don't suppose you know why."

Jo swallowed hard and looked out at the water again. Zane's mother sat down on the dock and sighed. "I thought so." She patted the boards next to her. Jo sat down and looked at the water beneath them. She could see tiny fish swimming along the bottom. Zane's mother sighed again. "When he told me about this hare-brained scheme, I knew I had to do something to help you out. Zane is… spoiled. A lot of that is my fault; after his father left, I worked constantly to help us survive. Then the school system discovered what a genius he was and they shoved him through school. Before I knew it, they were graduating him at 13 and he was off to MIT. You know he got kicked out of a dozen colleges." Jo nodded. "Well, by then he was 17 and already hacking his way across the country. I bailed him out quite a few times. I should have stopped sooner. But he always promised me he was going to be on the straight and narrow. Finally, I swore I wouldn't do it again, and that's when he came here."

Jo smiled at the memory of Zane's arrival in Eureka. They certainly weren't expecting anyone like him, though several of the top scientists had criminal backgrounds. Zane certainly was a criminal but only for what he considered to be a good reason. "Did he ever tell you why he'd gotten arrested the last time?" Mrs. Donovan shook her head. Jo smiled again. "He had stolen a large amount of money from the DEA so he could return it to a scholarship program that had been robbed years ago. He didn't want anyone to know that, but the sheriff found out." That had been Jo's first introduction to Zane's good side. She had spent more than a year excavating it further. It was frustrating, slow, thankless work sometimes. And sometimes the good side was just as frustrating. She'd fallen in love with the bad boy gone good, she thought with a sigh.

The two women sat quietly for a while. Zane's mother finally broke the silence. "My advice to you, if you are truly interested in Zane, is to let him chase you for a while. I'm sure you already know that he's head over heels for you." Jo stared at her. "Or maybe you didn't. Zane isn't used to relationships and he hasn't been the pursuer for a very long time. It will be good for him to work for something he really wants." She smiled. "It's also good to see him off balance. His grandmother would have risen up and smacked you down if she saw you hit him, but I've been frustrated by his cockiness for a long time. Still, don't do it again or you'll have to deal with me."

"Um, okay. Sorry, I lost my temper back there and I just couldn't think of anything but wiping the smile off his face." Jo looked back at the cabin. "So why are you telling me all this? I mean, you're his mother; you just met me."

"Oh, I think I know you pretty well. Besides, I think the two of you would make beautiful babies and I'd like to have grandchildren before I'm too old to enjoy them." She grinned at Jo, who started laughing out of shock. She stood up and offered a hand to Jo. "Shall we go in and see how worried he is about what we've been talking about?"

Jo stood up and brushed off the back of her pants. "Absolutely. And maybe we can make him squirm some more."

"I like the way you think," Zane's mother chuckled.

When they walked in the cabin, Zane was sitting at the other side of the table, the side with the best view of the lake. His eye was turning black and blue. "Did you have a nice chat?" he asked with a bit of sarcasm.

Jo looked at his mother and then walked over to the freezer to make a new icepack. Mrs. Donovan sat across from her son. "Yes, dear, it was lovely. But I have to be going; you did ask me to house sit for you."

Jo handed the ice to Zane. "You're leaving already?"

"Yes, I just stopped by to say hello and drop off a few things." She stood up, leaned over to kiss her son, and opened her arms to Jo. Jo hugged her, only feeling a little awkward. She picked up her purse and headed for the door. "Call me if you need anything."

Jo followed her out. "Take me with you."

Zane's mother smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, I can't. I am his mother, after all." She walked around the corner and a minute later, drove away in her car. Jo sat on the steps and watched the car until it drove out of sight. She sighed and went back into the house.

Zane was standing at the stove. "I'm heating up some chicken cordon bleu from Café Diem. You want?"

"Sure." Jo walked back into the kitchen and pulled out plates to set the table. She looked at Zane. His eye was even worse. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes. I'd say my ego hurt more, but I don't think that's possible."

"Do we have a first aid kit?"

"In the hall closet." Jo opened the door and pulled down the little white box. She opened it and rummaged through. There were some single dose painkillers. She pulled one out and opened it. Grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, she handed the pills to Zane. "Take these; they should help. Do we have any teabags?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"After we eat, steep one in some warm water and you can use that as a compress, too. My dad always used that for my brothers when they had shiners."

"Did that happen a lot?" The side of his mouth quirked up as he bent down to pull their lunch out of the oven.

"They were boys, they played sports, and they had me for a sister." Jo helped herself to some chicken and vegetables. "Of course, I was much shorter than any of them, so I had to lure them close before I could kick them in the face."

"Wow. Did you take karate?"

"Nope, ballet." Zane chuckled. "What?" Jo asked with narrowed eyes.

"I'm having a hard time imagining you in a tutu."

"Watch it. I can always give you a matching set," Jo mockingly shook her fist in his face. Zane raised his hands in surrender. She smiled and applied herself to her lunch. Vincent's cooking was sublime, even as leftovers.

She dipped the last stalk of broccoli in a smear of melted swiss cheese and popped it in her mouth. She looked up. Zane was watching her with a half smile on his face. "What?"

"Watching you eat is enjoyable, Jo-Jo. You don't pick at your food; you dive right in and eat."

"That's because I only eat what I enjoy." Jo leaned back in her chair. He was still looking at her. "So… why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Why are you chasing me? I'm sure there are a dozen gorgeous women on your intellectual level at GD. Why would you want to spend time with someone who can't understand what you do?" Jo took a deep breath and waited for the answer she'd wanted to know for the last 2 years.

"Wow. You really don't know me." Zane ran a hand through his hair. "If you really must know, when I first met you, I thought you were the hottest thing going. And then I got to see you in action. You were strong, passionate but no-nonsense, funny in a sarcastic way, intelligent – now don't roll your eyes, Josephina, you are intelligent even if you don't have three doctorates – kind, and very loyal. And you refused to play along with me, hell, you treated me like I was the cockroach in your cornflakes. I admit that had a little to do with it. And then whatever happened to change you happened and all of a sudden, you were treating me like a person instead of a pain in your ass." He sipped his water.

"You're still a pain in my ass," Jo muttered.

"Yeah, well, some things never change. And some things do. Like you. I didn't know what to do or what to think when you changed. Even after you threw the ring at me, I still didn't understand completely. Then I spent that day in jail and I had time to think and I had almost everything figured out. So I kissed you when you wouldn't tell me the truth. And if Zoe hadn't walked in, I would have kissed you again." He leaned forward. "It was an amazing kiss, and I'd like to try it again sometime soon." Jo shifted in her seat. "So, why me?" he asked her.

She opened her mouth to answer him, then shut it remembering her friends and what his mother had said. "I'm going to go read for a while." She got up.

Zane stood up, too. "This conversation is not over, Jo-Jo." He picked up their plates and walked to the sink.

"I know," she said quietly. "I'm just not ready to talk yet." She walked into her room and closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN**: About the chicken in the last chapter; I figured that when Zane refused to eat chicken when we first met him, he was just messing with Carter. We've seen him eat meat since then; maybe Vincent convinced him that everything on the menu was organic and free range. Or it's an alternate timeline and it didn't happen that way here. You can choose.

Zane finished washing the dishes and wiped his hands on the dishcloth. He touched his eye gingerly. It still throbbed a bit and touching made it worse. He thought about making the tea remedy but decided to wait until Jo showed him how. He made up another ice pack and walked to his room. Zane closed the door, sat down on his bed, and picked up his phone and hit speed dial.

"Douglas Fargo."

"It's not working." Zane winced as he pressed the ice pack to his face.

"Hang on a second." Zane heard Fargo shut his door and type on a keyboard. "Zane, it's only been a day."

"I know it's only been a day. And I already have a black eye."

"Really? That's all?" Fargo snickered. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." Zane sighed. "Fargo, this was your brilliant idea. I need it to work. I came to you for help because I knew none of the others would help me, but now I'm beginning to wonder if you're torpedoing me."

"Look, Zane. Yes, I did have feelings for Jo at one time, and yes, I think you don't deserve her, but we both can see how unhappy she is. And your productivity has gone to hell. As her friend and your boss, it's in my best interest to make the two of you happy. Besides, I'm a hopeless romantic."

"Fargo-"

"Trust me. This will work. You have to give her time. It may take the whole month, but you'll never get her to fall for you if you don't open up to her and gain her trust first. I have to go. Be patient." Fargo hung up.

Zane sighed in frustration and tossed the phone on the bedside table. He was sick of waiting; he'd been waiting for months to repeat that kiss and see where it led. Anytime he tried to talk to Jo, she'd run and hid from him. And Carter, Henry, Allison, and Grace had closed ranks around her, protecting her. When Fargo had called him up to the office, he'd been expecting the same productivity lectures that Parrish had given him. Instead, Fargo had acted concerned and in his shock, Zane had blurted the whole thing out.

Fargo had tapped his chin in the infuriating way that he had and told Zane that he would help him figure out a way to solve his problem. They had spent hours closeted in Fargo's office talking about what Zane knew and what resources they had. In the end, Fargo had come up with the idea of getting her away from town, away from prying eyes, well meaning but overprotective friends, and hiding places.

Zane had confessed to Zoe his feelings for Jo a few days after the kiss; that was why she was so upset with him. He had a feeling she was more upset over her actions hurting Jo than she was over the loss of their flirtation. A few days later, Zoe called him, ranted at him for a few minutes, and then started asking questions about Jo and what exactly those feelings were. He wasn't insensitive enough to ask her how to catch Jo, but when Fargo came up with this scheme, he had to get her opinion on what to do. She'd listened, and asked, "Is there a tv and a vcr up there?"

Zane had responded, "I think so, but I could get a flat screen and a dvd –"

Zoe interrupted, "No, it has to be an older tv and a vcr. It has to look like it's been there a while. Get some tapes of old Disney movies and the movies you grew up with. Put them somewhere she can find them, but not right out in the open." And that's all the advice she'd give him. So he ordered a ton of tapes online and put them in the old armoire in the third bedroom, the room he'd stayed in as a kid. Fargo had furniture smuggled in for him; new mattresses for his and her bedrooms and a bunk bed with a futon on the bottom for the third bedroom. And linens and towels enough for an army.

He'd had to call his mother and tell her about everything; he'd felt like he would explode with secrets. He should have known when she'd offered to house sit – and babysit his few projects – that she would show up here out of sheer curiosity. Jo was the first woman he'd ever "brought home," so to speak. And his mother actually liked her.

He couldn't believe that they'd actually pulled it off and that Jo would agree to this. What would they have done if she'd refused? They didn't plan for that, but then again, Jo had a strong sense of loyalty to her friends, so he supposed Fargo never thought that she wouldn't go for it. And then the moment came and she'd said yes. Fargo played terrified very well, but Zane had a hard time keeping a straight face. Carter's angry expression helped, as did the fear in Henry, Grace, and Allison's eyes. Fargo had promised that after a few days, he'd explain everything to them. Zane certainly hoped so; any of them holding a grudge could be very dangerous. Almost as dangerous as Jo.

Zane lay back, shifting the ice to a new spot. When he'd kissed Jo all those months ago, he thought his hair would catch on fire from the heat. He'd managed to keep his composure long enough to ask her to explain herself again, but all he'd really wanted to do was pull her into his arms again and kiss her until the world ended. And then Zoe walked in the room and it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over Jo and him. She'd made her escape and had been running ever since. He had been infatuated with her for years and now the possibility of falling in love with her was more than just a possibility.

Zane reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring. He'd carried it with him since the kiss. It was proof that she could feel the same way about him, and he wasn't about to let that slip away from him. But she was so frustrating; every friendly overture he made was met with sarcasm or disbelief. He could see the hope in her eyes sometimes when she looked at him, but she wasn't budging. And he could forget trying to get anywhere physically with her, he thought ruefully. He wasn't used to exercising self control and it really sucked having to do so. He was so used to everything coming easily to him – school, work, even most girls once he'd grown out of his awkward stage, but not Jo.

I have to gain her trust, he thought. How the hell do I do that? It's just like when people tell you to be yourself. Nobody really wants that, do they? The awkward, weird, sometimes rude bits of yourself that you hide away so that people don't look at you like you're some new species of dung beetle, nobody wants that. And the truth is that this situation is another lie. What happens if – when she finds that out? Will she hate me or Fargo more?

He lay in bed for a while, thinking. He had to keep trying. If he succeeded, he'd have Jo. If he failed… he refused to think of failure. He had to succeed. Zane sat up and pushed himself off the bed. Maybe Jo had come back out of her room. He'd go out and keep trying.


	6. Chapter 6

Jo picked up one of the trashy romance novels she'd brought and sat on her bed, pointedly ignoring the box next to her. She thumbed through a few pages, sighed, and put the book down. She never really liked these books with their weak heroines and overuse of the words "throbbing member." Carter's sister had gushed about this particular author and how different the plots were, but as far as Jo could tell, they were the same as the rest of the genre.

She leaned forward and grabbed the box. She lifted off the top to see a velvety red robe. It was short enough to be Hugh Hefner's smoking jacket, she thought, and giggled at the image of herself smoking a pipe and surrounded by girls in bunny ears. Zane would like that image, she thought with a smile and a sigh. Not that she'd ever share it with him.

She scooted back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around her knees. Why am I still resisting him? He did promise not to tell, and it's not as if there was anyone to see them out in the middle of nowhere. She flashed back to the moment she'd first seen Zane and Zoe together. Oh, yeah. That. She never wanted to feel like that again. And she still wasn't sure that he wasn't just going to use her and toss her aside. After all, this wasn't *her* Zane and he'd had at least two dozen women in this timeline while she'd been with him in hers. Plus there was the added bonus of having to conceal or explain their relationship to the busybodies in town. Which she was going to have to do anyway, thanks to Vincent.

Still, there were signs that he might actually mean what he said. He'd kept his hands and lips to himself. She was mildly disappointed at that, but maybe it meant that he had some respect for her wishes. And now the two of them were in this house for the next 29 days with no buffer between them. Jo sighed. That was stupid. Even people who were desperately in love with each other needed a buffer sometimes or things would get too intense. Or they'd get on each other's nerves.

Suddenly restless, she stood up and walked out of her bedroom. Zane was in his room with the door shut. Jo opened all of the cabinets and peered inside. She opened the refrigerator and the freezer. It looked like they had enough food for the month; there was even milk in the freezer so no one would have to go and get any. Jo walked out the back door and over to the shed. The door was still open, and it looked like there was a chest freezer in there. She opened it. A frozen turkey and a few pot roasts were all that was in there. It's a shame to waste the energy on such a little bit of food, she thought, then saw the symbol on the wall. Ah. Hydrogen powered. The rest of the house was probably run off the same.

Not wanting to explore outside alone in case she got lost, Jo walked back in the house and shut the door. She wished she'd packed for colder weather; she could tell that the temperature would drop over the next few days. Maybe Zane had an extra jacked. His door was still shut. Jo headed back to her room, but turned in the doorway of the third bedroom. She hadn't really been in there yet. The room held a set of bunkbeds, the kind with a futon on the bottom, a dresser, and an armoire. Jo opened the closet; a whole stack of board games threatened to fall on top of her. She closed the door hurriedly.

Jo walked over to the armoire and opened it. She grinned. An older model television sat on the shelf with a VCR on top. She pressed the power button and changed the channel a few times. Nothing on but snow, she thought. She opened the bottom doors and laughed in delight. Video tapes filled the shelves; mostly children's movies, which was wonderful, but also a few action and comedies from the 80's. She knelt down and ran her finger over the titles. Pete's Dragon, The Muppet Movie, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Labyrinth, The Princess Bride – ah! Beauty and the Beast, her favorite! She opened the box and popped in the tape, hoping that the VCR worked. She heard it click and whirr as she changed the channel back to 3. The usual warning popped up on the screen. Jo pressed fast forward through the previews and climbed on the futon as soon as the Walt Disney logo came up. Auto tracking, she thought, watching the tape correct itself. What a wonderful invention.

The opening music began and she grinned in delight. It had been years since she'd watched the movie, but she remembered every second and she murmured along with the prologue. She watched Belle leave the house and leaned forward as Belle began singing.

"I see you found the VCR." Zane stood in the doorway, arms folded. "Gaston is such a muscleheaded, arrogant jackass." Jo looked at him, at his biceps and pecs straining his t-shirt and burst out laughing.

"Pot, meet kettle," Jo laughed. Zane frowned and walked away. Jo smothered her giggles. She didn't really want to hurt his feelings, but it was true. Zane could be arrogant, but he wasn't awful, not like Gaston. She turned back to the movie and watched Maurice get lost in the forest.

She smelled popcorn. Zane sat down next to her and handed her a bowl. She picked up a piece and tasted it. "Real butter? I'm going to gain 20 pounds this month."

Zane offered her a bag of yellow flakes. "Would you like some nutritional yeast? It's full of B vitamins and my justification to load the popcorn with butter."

Jo plucked some out of his bowl and popped it in her mouth. It tasted sort of cheesy, with a hint of garlic. She took the bag and sprinkled some on her popcorn. "May as well get my vitamins. Thank you for the popcorn."

She turned back to the movie. She could feel him looking at her, but she didn't want to think about anything but Belle and the Beast. She did grin hugely when the Gaston song played, but he didn't say anything so she didn't either. She teared up several times during the movie, especially when Something There came on and when Belle left the Beast's castle. She felt Zane shift closer to her, but he didn't touch her either time.

She sighed and leaned back when the Beast transformed into Prince Adam. "I liked him better as the Beast," she said.

"Really?" The credits came on and Zane turned to face Jo. "Why's that?"

"Well, because the Beast is the Beast. And Prince Adam doesn't look like much of a substitution."

He grinned at her. "So you like your guys big and hairy and unable to kiss you?"

She punched him lightly on the thigh. "Shut up. That's not what I meant. I love this movie because Belle's not a frail little flower waiting to be rescued, nor does she think that falling in love will solve all her problems. And the guy she falls for isn't the handsome one that wants to pluck her out of her life; she falls for the guy who has a good heart."

He looked at her for a minute. "Have you ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?" She shook her head. "I think you'd like it."

"Does it have a happy ending?" Zane looked at her quizzically. "I don't watch movies without happy endings unless they're pointless action movies. I made the mistake of watching Moulin Rouge and it made me sad for weeks."

"I would call it more of a hopeful ending than a happy one. The movie is about a couple that fights and breaks up and she goes through a procedure to erase him from her memory and her life. So he decides to do the same thing, but part way through, he realizes that he loves her and doesn't want to forget her."

Zane looked at Jo and swore at himself for telling her about that movie when he saw her face. He babbled on to make it better. "Most of the movie takes place while he's dreaming. But you'd really like Clementine – that's Kate Winslet's character. She's amazing and strong and vulnerable at the same time." He trailed off, looking at the pain in Jo's eyes and remembering the scene where Clementine told the story about the ugly doll. It had punched him in the gut when he'd seen it the first time.

Zane reached out and took Jo's hand. He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes. "I… I just want you to know that I think that you're beautiful. Maybe even perfect." She jumped as if she'd been burned and her eyes filled with tears. He stared at her. What did I say now? She turned away from him and was trying to surreptitiously wipe her eyes. Using the hand he held, he turned her around, pulled her close to him, and hugged her. He was surprised that she didn't pull away; rather she nestled in close and slid an arm around his back.

Jo pressed her cheek into Zane's chest and let the tears come for once. He kept saying things that reminded her of… She sat still and listened to his heartbeat for a few minutes and then pulled away once she'd gotten herself composed again. "I think I've had enough of movies for one day," she said with a half smile. "I saw Monopoly in the closet. Want to play?

"Sure, but I can't guarantee I won't kick your ass." He grinned at her and walked to the closet to get the game.

"You wish," she answered.


	7. Chapter 7

Zane set up the Monopoly board on the coffee table and began dealing out the money. Jo walked out of the kitchen with a wet teabag on a towel. She handed it to him. "Put this on your eye for a few minutes."

He complied. "It's cold. I thought it would be hot."

"Yeah, hot would be bad. We want the bruise to go away, not get worse." Jo sat down on the floor, laid out the chance and community chest cards, and started sorting the properties. "I call the car."

"Okay," Zane plucked the silver pieces out of the box. "I'll be the shoe." Jo looked at him, eyebrow raised. "What? I like the shoe. The shoe is cool. The shoe is magical. I won my last 5 games with the shoe."

Jo laughed. "Well, let's just test that theory." She picked up the dice. "Shall we roll to see who goes first?"

"Nah, you go first. But we should set some rules about the game. Should we play a set amount of time or until someone wins?"

"There are only two of us playing. If we play until someone wins, that could take days."

"That's fine with me. Something to do every night before bed." He smiled at her and she smiled back, shaking her head. They hashed out the rest of the rules and started playing.

After a few turns, Jo stood up and stretched. "I wish we had some music; I usually listen to it when I'm home and I miss it. Want a drink?"

"Please." Jo walked into the kitchen and pulled some bottled water out of the fridge. She padded back into the living room to see Zane setting up a small radio. He plugged in his mp3 player and said, "Voila! Music!"

Jo handed him his water and sat down. "I thought you said no tech."

"I told _you_ not to bring tech. Nobody said anything about me." He grinned at her and took a drink. "Any requests?"

"Ummmmm, something upbeat, something we can sing along with."

"Your wish is my command." He chose a playlist and the opening bars to the Jackson 5's ABC filled the room.

"Yes!" Jo clapped her hands and bobbed along to the song as she threw the dice. Zane watched her, fascinated. This was definitely a side to Jo Lupo he'd never seen before. She sang along to the parts she knew and drummed the beat on the table. She finally noticed him watching her and she subsided in embarrassment. Zane got up, spun around a la Michael Jackson, and held his hands out to her. She took them and he pulled her to her feet and swung her into a dance. When the song ended, she pulled away from him and sat back down, laughing.

Zane sat down slowly. "Jo, I have to tell you something."

She grinned at him. "You're pregnant?"

"What?"

She chuckled. "Bad joke. What's up?"

He hesitated, and then took the plunge. "I wasn't going to blackmail anyone. I was bluffing so I could get you up here."

"I know." She sipped her water.

"You _knew_? Why did you agree to come?"

"Well, I didn't _know_, not then. But now that we're up here and I've spent some time with you, well, let's just say that I was pretty sure that you wouldn't really go through with it. Well, maybe you'd blackmail Fargo. But not the rest of them."

Zane opened his mouth and closed it. He'd better stop while he was ahead; he didn't know how Jo would react if she knew that Fargo was the mastermind behind the plan to get her here. He rolled the dice.

The next two weeks were almost idyllic. Every morning, Jo and Zane went for a run. More often than not, Zane cooked, but Jo wheedled him into letting her use his kitchen every now and then. They worked their way through the VHS tapes, arguing over which to watch next. It rained and got colder. Jo helped him chop wood and then they'd play board games in front of the fireplace, trash talking outrageously. Zane told her stories about his childhood and years bumming about the country; Jo told him about her brothers and what it was like at West Point. They discussed movies, music, and books. When Zane found out she liked Elvis more than the Beatles or the Stones, he pretended to be offended all day. She snubbed him right back for liking Star Trek more than Star Wars.

So this is what having a best friend is like, Zane thought as he watched Jo stare out the window at the stars. I don't think I've ever liked anyone as much as I do Jo. It's easy to see now how I could want to spend the rest of my life with her.

Jo sat with her chin in her hand, lost in the sky. They'd finished dinner, but she didn't feel like getting up just yet. I'm actually happy, she thought. I never expected to be happy again. Zane has been more open with me than he ever was before. He's so different than he was… and yet so much the same. Or maybe I just didn't know him as well as I thought I did. She turned and looked at Zane. He was staring at her with a half smile. She inclined her head toward the window and smiled. "It's beautiful out there. It seems like you can see the whole universe."

Zane looked at her, then got up and went to the coat closet. He pulled out his jacket and a warm looking parka. Handing the parka to Jo, he said, "Come on. The view is better from the lake."

She pulled the coat on and zipped it up. Zane opened the door, and as he shut it, she slipped her hand in his free one. He glanced at her in surprise, and then entwined his fingers with hers. They walked down the steps and over the moon-lit path to the dock, their breath steaming in the air. It was very cold outside. Jo stuffed her other hand in her pocket to keep it warm. She kept her eyes on the ground; she didn't want to trip over a root and take both of them down.

They stopped a few feet short of the end of the dock. Still holding hands, they stared up into the sky. Jo's eyes watered from the cold and the effort of not blinking. She was hoping to see a shooting star; she'd never seen one before. And tonight seemed like a good night for wishes.

Zane pulled their linked hands into his jacket pocket, pulling Jo closer. She leaned against him, still staring at the sky. He said quietly, "Was it like this before?" Startled, she looked at him. "Were we like this before?"

Jo looked back up at the sky. "No. It wasn't like this before." She waited for him to ask another question, but he stood silent so she went on. "We didn't spend a lot of time getting to know each other. I was always afraid that you would get tired of me; I wasn't smart enough for you. And you could be so arrogant. We spent a lot of time – too much time – arguing." Jo sighed and closed her eyes. Half of it was her fault, she knew that now. "But we really did love each other."

They stood together silently staring up at the stars for a while, both lost in their thoughts. Zane broke the silence. "Jo….. If I kissed you, you wouldn't throw me off the dock, would you?"

Jo's lips curved into a smile. "Why don't you try it and find out?"

Zane let go of her hand and turned to face her. She grinned at him challengingly for a minute, but the smile faded from her face when he didn't move in. She looked down and swallowed, disappointed. She felt Zane's fingers brush her cheekbones, and when she looked up at him this time, she knew her heart was in her eyes. His hands were warm on her face as he cupped it and tilted it upwards to meet his mouth. He kissed her softly and sweetly; so sweet it brought tears to her eyes. She covered his hands with hers as he kissed her a second and a third time.

He pulled back a little and surveyed his clothing. "Still dry." His fingertips brushed her cheeks where the tears had trailed. "You're a little damp. We should probably go back inside." He let go of her face and took her hand again. This time, she slipped her fingers in between his.

When they got back inside, Zane built up the fire while Jo shed the parka and curled up on the couch. When he was finished, Zane sat down next to her. "So, what now?" Jo asked, staring at the fire.

"What do you think?"

"Well, my body's thinking we should cut to the chase. My heart is thinking that I should throw myself in your arms and hold on to you forever. My brain… my brain is saying that we should keep taking it slow." She looked up at him.

"My respective body parts concur." He raised an eyebrow. "And since you haven't already done options one or two, I'm betting you're going with option three."

"Yeah." Jo looked back at the fire and bit her bottom lip. "Not because I think the first two are bad ideas, but I'm really enjoying the way things are right now. And I really need some time to think."

Zane slid over closer to Jo and took her hand. "I think I can give you that," he said slowly. "There are some things that we're running low on and some other things that I forgot. Would you like to go to town to get them?"

Jo's brow furrowed. "But… you have my keys locked in the safe."

"True. But mine aren't. You can ride, can't you?"

"Yes. Yes I can." She smiled at Zane. "Isn't this against the rules?"

"They're my rules. I can break them if I want to. Unless you'd rather stay here and I can go."

"No, I want to go. I need a few things, too."

"Not too much, I hope. The saddlebags can only hold so much." Jo shook her head. "Okay, I'll make a list. Later. Right now, I'd really like to sit here with you and listen to some music." Zane pulled a remote from his pocket and turned on the mp3 player. He let go of Jo's hand and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Jo smiled and leaned back against him. Zane hummed along with the song and sang softly along with the chorus. "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend; lucky to have been where I have been where I have been; lucky to be coming home again… I wish we had one more kiss; I'll wait for you I promise you I will…"

Jo chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me something?" Zane kissed the side of her head and kept humming along. The song changed to Queen's You're My Best Friend and Jo burst out laughing. Zane wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth with the music.

The next morning after their run, Zane walked Jo to his motorcycle. She mounted it and held her hand out for his helmet. Zane held it out to her but hung on to it when she tried to take it from him. "You're coming back, right?"

"Of course I am."

"Promise?"

She pulled harder on the helmet, making him take a step closer. She wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him. "I promise." Zane kissed her on top of the head and let go of the helmet. She put it on, started the bike, and slowly rode off. Once she hit the main road, Jo made a note of the turn and took off at a higher speed. Vincespresso was calling her name and she didn't want to keep it waiting.

An hour later, she pulled in front of Café Diem and parked the bike. It was much warmer here, and people were outside in the dining area. She saw heads turning toward her when she pulled off the helmet, but she ignored them and walked inside. Vincent came running over to her as soon as the door shut and wrapped her in a bear hug. "Oh my god, Jo, you're back! Where's Zane?"

Jo patted him on the back in an attempt to get him to let her go. "He's back at the cabin. I just came into town for a few things. Can I have a Vincespresso?"

"Absolutely!" He bustled behind the counter as Jo sat down at a table nearby. Vince hurried back and placed a large cup in front of Jo. Sitting across from her, he poured her coffee, leaned forward and asked, "So how's it going? Fargo told us all about his plan to get the two of you together and we've been dying to know how it turns out."

"What?"


	8. Chapter 8

Jo stared at Vincent, burning with humiliation and growing anger as he blathered on about how romantic it was. Motion in the back caught her eye; Fargo was trying to sneak out unnoticed. Jo shoved herself away from the table and marched up to meet him. "H-hi, Jo, how's the vacation going?"

She grabbed his wrist. "Let's talk about it somewhere more private, shall we?" He tried to pull away so she yanked him back, twisted his arm up behind his back, and shoved him out the door and across the street into the sheriff's office.

Andy stood up when Jo banged the door open. "You're back early, Jo. Did things not go according to plan? S.A.R.A.H. told me all about it. It's very romantic."

"Take a walk, Andy," Jo grated, shoving Fargo into Carter's chair. The android's smiled widened and he walked outside. Fargo whimpered. Jo pushed him into the corner and blocked any escape routes. "Talk, Fargo."

"W-well," he stammered, "y-you were miserable. And Zane just sat there in his lab not doing anything. So when I found out he was pining over you, I figured I could help out and both of you would be happy again. I figured if he could get you alone, the two of you could work things out. But you kept avoiding him, so we… figured…"

He was pining over me? Jo shook her head. "Was everyone in on it?"

"No, we weren't." Jo whirled around; Carter was standing in the doorway. "Fargo told us a few days later. After he'd started spreading it around town."

"I did not!" Fargo said indignantly. "I only told Vincent!"

Jack looked at him wryly. "Same difference. So when Zane's mother showed up, beaming about how wonderfully the two of you were getting along, we decided the two of you should hash things out and we'd only send the cavalry in if you called for help." He jerked his head. "Well, Grace decided. She bullied the rest of us into going along with her decision."

Jo stepped back and sat down on Carter's desk. She felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. Fargo inched the chair a little closer to her. "Jo, I'm sorry. I let the story out so I could seem like a better person than the old me. So many people still hate me and I thought if I could show them that I cared about people; that might change." He scooted closer. "But really all I wanted was to see you happy again. I'm your friend, Jo."

Jo felt tears prickle her eyes. She closed them. "Get out, Fargo." She heard him get up and slowly walk away.

Carter stepped closer to her. "We're all your friends, Jo." He touched her shoulder. "Let's get you home."

"I can't go home," Jo wailed. "He has my keys!" She burst into tears. Carter stepped back in shock, and then he hugged Jo as her shoulders shook.

"I did mean _my_ home," he said, tugging her ponytail softly. Jo laughed, trying to wipe her tears away. Carter handed her a box of tissues. Jo dried her eyes and blew her nose. Carter lifted up the trash can so she could toss the used tissue and put his arm around her again. "Come on, let's go."

Jo stared out the window of Carter's Jeep as they headed towards the bunker. "So," Carter said. Jo turned and looked at him. "How was it going?" She turned back to the window. "That bad, huh?"

Jo sighed. "No, actually, it was good. We… connected in a way that we didn't before." She looked back at Carter. "But now… How can I go back? And how can I face the rest of the town ever again?"

Carter patted her knee. "We'll figure it out." They pulled in front of the bunker and Jo got out. "Go on inside; I've got to do a few things, but I'll be back later."

"Zane's bike and helmet are still at Café Diem."

"I'll make sure they'll be fine. Go on, go relax."

S.A.R.A.H. opened the door. "Welcome back, Jo. We didn't expect you back so soon."

"Thank you, S.A.R.A.H." Jo threw Zane's jacket across the room, flopped down on the couch, and reached for the remote.

Zane finished dicing potatoes and threw them in the pot to boil. He'd chosen comfort food for dinner that night; pot roast with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. After eating this, Jo would be happy to just relax on the couch with him, he mused with a grin.

He walked through the living room and stood in the doorway of her room. Jo was fastidious, to say the least. Her bed was made and the room was spotless. The only sign that someone was staying there was the robe hanging on the closet door. He hesitated at crossing the threshold of what had become her sanctuary, but couldn't resist peeking in. Stepping slowly across the room, he sat on the bed and looked around. There were two bodice rippers in the garbage pail. Jo didn't seem like the type to read those, which explains why they were there. He touched the handle of the top dresser drawer to see if she'd brought any of his presents when his phone rang. Zane jumped guiltily and pulled out his phone.

"Hey Fargo, what's up? Did you see Jo?"

"Yep. And we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Zane got up and walked back out to the kitchen to check on the food.

"Jo… found out that I was behind the idea to pretend to blackmail everyone and get her alone with you." The words spilled out of Fargo's mouth. "She freaked out and almost broke my arm. She was really, really mad."

"Oh, god." Zane leaned on the counter. "Where is she now?"

"Holed up at Sheriff Carter's with no sign of coming out. What should I do?"

"Well, you're the idea man. What do you think you should do?"

"Zane, I'm not the idea man. I'm the guy who accidentally pushes a button or knocks something over!"

"Fargo, you're the head of GD! Become an idea man!" Zane slammed the phone shut and dropped his head in his hands. He'd had her, for a few amazing hours. And now it was probably all over. The last time he pissed her off…. And this time would be a million times worse.

He looked out the window at Jo's car. He could crack the safe and go after her, but what was the point? Past history showed that trying to talk to her would get him nowhere. He turned off the stove. No point in dinner, either. He sat down at the table and stared out the window.

Jo turned off the tv and tossed the remote back on the table. Five hours of channel surfing and nothing held her interest. She lay back and stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't going to think about Zane. She wasn't going to think about stars or movies or Monopoly or dancing. With Zane.

"Can I offer you a drink?" S.A.R.A.H. asked.

"That sounds wonderful. Whisky and Coke, please, mostly whisky." Jo pushed herself off the couch, picked the drink up off the dispenser, and drained it. She put her glass back on the dispenser. "I'll have another." S.A.R.A.H. refilled the glass. Jo scooped it up and walked back over to the couch.

"I have a call for you," S.A.R.A.H. said.

"I don't really feel like talking to anyone, S.A.R.A.H."

"Tough." Zoe's voice floated from the ceiling.

"Hey, Zoe, it's been a really bad day." Jo put her glass down and lay back on the couch.

"So I heard."

"Oh, no, not you too. Did Vincent call you?"

"Nope. I talked to Zane."

Jo sat up straight. "What?"

"I talked to Zane. We're friends, too, you know."

Jo sighed and took a drink. "So what did he say?"

"He said that the two of you were clicking but then Fargo happened. He also said that he thinks that the two of you no longer have any chance together because you'll never forgive him."

"Zoe, I –"

"I told him that that was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard. That the Jo Lupo _I_ know would be upset, but she'd get over it pretty quickly, especially if it was about someone she cared about."

Jo sighed. "Zoe, it's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"It's…. it's just not."

"You're being completely ridiculous." Jo's jaw dropped, flabbergasted. Zoe sighed. "You told me once that life was short and that things can change in an instant. And you were right. Now I'm telling you to remember that, and to not let being scared stop you."

"I'm not scared." Jo whispered.

"Then why didn't you tell me that you were in love with him?"

"I'm not in love with him."

"That was _very_ convincing. Say it again, maybe you'll believe it this time."

"Zoe, why are you acting like this?"

"Because I'm your friend, Jo. I hate how unhappy you've been; everybody knows you're miserable even if they don't know why. And I'm the only one who isn't too chicken to tell you the truth. My dad's outside right now, waiting for S.A.R.A.H. to tell him it's safe to come in."

The door swung open to reveal Carter, Allison, Henry, Grace, and Fargo standing in the entranceway. Allison and Grace each had one of Fargo's arms. Jo smiled in spite of herself. Bet they had to drag him all the way here. "It's safe. Come on in," she said. She looked up at the speaker. "Zoe, you're a pain in my ass, but I love you."

"I love you too. Call me and tell me how it turns out."

"That was very touching," S.A.R.A.H. remarked.

Carter threw himself down on the couch. Grace let go of Fargo and held out her arms to Jo. "This is from Zoe," she said as she hugged Jo. "And this is from me," squeezing her tighter.

Jo hugged Henry and Allison. She walked over to Fargo and punched him lightly on the arm. "So, you guys are all chicken," she said, plopping down next to Carter.

Jack nudged her. "Absolutely." Henry flapped his arms. Jo rolled her eyes as Carter continued, "We all just watched you hurting. Fargo was the only one of us who wasn't too wrapped up in himself to do anything about it. And even though he may have gone about it the wrong way, his intentions were good."

Allison sat down on Carter's other side. "So what are you going to do now?" she asked.

Jo looked down at her hands. "I have to go back. Zoe was right, I'm scared. But I have to face that fear. And besides, I promised." She looked around the room. "But what does that mean for us? We're supposed to be lying low and acting like we would in this timeline. If - If word gets out about me and Zane, will that put us at risk?"

Henry and Grace looked at each other and smiled. Henry sat down on the coffee table across from Jo and took her hands between his. "Jo, in this timeline, the two of you aren't together, but everyone knows that you are just taking the scenic route to get there."

Grace chuckled. "Vincent's had a betting pool on when it would happen ever since the two of you had your first fight in the middle of Café Diem. And if you can just hold off for a few more weeks, I stand to win a nice chunk of change."

From the corner, Fargo muttered, "Too bad Vincent closed the bets right when you left. I could be in on it, too."

Jo looked at them incredulously and started to laugh. Carter sat up and touched her knee. "We just want you to be happy, Jo."

"I am happy, Carter. I'm very happy."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Last chapter, kids. I hope it's as satisfying to read as it was to write. Now to finish my other story!

Carter helped Jo load the groceries in the bike's saddlebags. He watched her zip them up with his hands in his pockets. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Carter, it's been more than an hour, I had a sizeable meal, and I only had a drink and a half. You can test me if you want to."

"That's not what I meant, Jo." He stepped forward, smiling. "Although now that you mention it, close your eyes and touch your nose."

Jo complied and then punched him softly on the arm. They stood there for a minute looking at each other. "Keep your phone on just in case I kill him," Jo said, trying to smile. Carter reached out and pulled her into a hug. Jo leaned up against him, trying to steal some of his courage. "It's sunset; I should get going," she said, pushing away.

Jo threw her leg over the bike and settled in. Carter handed her the helmet. "Be careful. It rained pretty hard out there and the roads are still slick." Carter inclined his head; Jo looked over to see Andy salute her. "Sometimes it's helpful to have a deputy with a built in weather and traffic report," Carter murmured. "Good luck, Jo."

She started up the motorcycle, pulled the helmet on, and took off. When she passed Café Diem, Vincent was standing outside with Zane's mother. They waved at her. Jo shook her head and smiled. Small town, no privacy. She passed through town quickly and soon left the last of the houses behind. It was easy to tell where the EM shield ended; it was like driving into a freezer and the roads were suddenly wet. Jo slowed down to compensate for the slick asphalt. It was going to take her longer than an hour to get to the cabin at this speed. Maybe that was a good thing.

She swerved around the pools of standing water on the road, trying to think of what she would say when she saw him. Her mind was a complete blank. She pictured his guilty face; still nothing. Maybe she should just march into her room and slam the door. No, he would be expecting that, especially if Zoe or Fargo called him and told him she was coming back. She couldn't believe Fargo was a matchmaker at heart. Henry had told her over dinner that it was Fargo's idea for him to sing to Grace. Jo wished she had been there instead of watching the video the next day; that would have been way more pleasant that what she'd seen that afternoon. Her stomach twisted at the memory. She wondered if her other self had felt the same about watching Zane dally with half the single women in Eureka. Probably, if what Henry and Grace said could be believed.

But now things were different, she thought as her eyes hunted for the turnoff. She pulled over to get her bearings. All the trees looked the same. Jo looked up at the star-bright sky. Maybe I still have farther to go. I wish I had my phone. Stupid no tech rule. She pushed off and rode slowly up the road. She sighed in relief when she finally saw the smooth dirt road. She was afraid that it had been turned to mud, but when her front wheel touched it, she could tell that it was firmly packed clay and sand. She rolled carefully through the woods and finally parked in front of the cabin.

She turned off the engine and sat for a minute, watching the windows for signs that Zane had heard her and was coming out. There was no movement. She sighed and dismounted, slinging the saddlebags over her shoulder. Maybe he was in the shower. Jo walked up the steps and opened the door. She didn't hear the shower running. "Zane?" She dropped the bags and walked over to his room. His door was open, but the room was empty. She walked over to the room with the vcr and peeked in. Empty, as was her room and both bathrooms. Maybe he went outside, she thought. She walked into the kitchen and looked in the pot on the stove. Whatever that was didn't look like dinner, she thought, wrinkling her nose.

She opened the back door and walked out on the porch. "Zane?" she called, squinting in the direction of the dock. No answer. Did he leave? She walked back in the house and looked in his room again. His phone was on the bedside table. She walked back out and sat on the couch. There were embers in the fireplace. Zane wouldn't leave if the fire was still burning; he loved this place too much to risk leaving a fire burning. Something was wrong. Jo opened the screen, poked the coals, and tossed in a couple of logs to make sure the house was warm. Then she went in the hall closet and hunted for a flashlight.

Jo walked out the back door again, calling Zane's name. She stepped carefully off the porch and shone the flashlight on the path. There were footprints in the mud; Zane must have come out after the rain. "Zane?" she called again, picking her way carefully over the wet ground. The circle of her light hit something strange. She walked closer. Zane's jacket lay crumpled on the ground. She leaned over and picked it up. It was soaking wet. Jo's eyes widened. He must have fallen in the lake…"Zane!" she screamed, turning around on the spot and shining her light into the trees.

He was a few feet away from her, sitting up against a tree. She hurried over to him. "Zane, are you okay? What happened?" No response. He was breathing, but his eyes were half closed and unfocused. She touched his sweater; it too was soaking wet and ice cold. "We have to get you inside." Shoving the flashlight in her jacket, she put his arm over her head and tried to pull him to his feet. He was too heavy. Jo swore. "You had to put on that extra 20 pounds of muscle didn't you?" She squatted down lower and tried again but still couldn't get him more than a few inches off the ground.

Jo stood up and looked over at the house, at least 50 yards away. Hypothermia is very, very bad. I have to get him inside and call for help. Her mind raced. If she handled him too roughly, he could go into cardiac arrest, but if she left him here, he would certainly die. She stepped over to his side and pulled him away from the tree. "I'm really sorry about this, Zane, but I'm going to have to drag you." She twined her fingers in his sweater under his arms and pulled. He slid a few inches on the slick ground. She turned him and walked backwards, dragging him back toward the cabin.

An eternity later, her foot hit the back steps. Panting, she stepped up and pulled as hard as she could. He slid up the steps, shoes bumping the wood. She let go with one hand and fumbled for the doorknob. She finally grabbed it and slammed the door open, dragging him inside. She dropped him gently, shut the door, and ran to Zane's room. She snatched the phone off of the table and dialed Carter's number. "Jack Carter," he answered.

"Carter," Jo panted. "There's been an accident. Zane fell in the lake and I don't know how long he was out there. I need Allison out here now."

"Oh-okay. I'll call Allison. Is he conscious?"

"I think so, but he's unresponsive. Carter –"

"We're coming as fast as we can. Just keep him warm."

"I know what to do. Do you know how to get here?"

"I think so, but just in case, don't turn off the phone." Jo hung up and opened the closet door, grabbing the blankets off the top shelf. She yanked the blanket and top sheet off of Zane's bed. She shoved the couch and coffee table back away from the fire and spread the comforter on the floor. Jo walked back to Zane and dragged him over to the blanket.

"I hope none of these were your favorite clothes." Jo pulled out her knife and cut Zane's sweater and t-shirt down the middle and up the sleeves. She gently pulled them out from under him. She pulled off his shoes and socks and then sliced through his jeans and underwear. Jo covered him with a blanket, tossed his muddy clothes aside, and started to strip down to her underwear. She hesitated for a moment and unhooked her bra. She lay down between him and the fire, pulled the blanket over her, and piled more blankets on top of them.

She grabbed his shoulder and turned his body towards her. She scooted closer and pressed her chest to his clammy one. "Oh, god, Carter, please hurry."

"Jo." She looked up at Zane in shock. His eyes were still unfocused. His mouth moved again. "Jo."

"Zane?" He didn't look at her. She touched his face gently. It was still icy. His lips were blue. She stretched up and pressed her lips to his. She kissed his face, warming the cold skin with her lips. She rearranged the top blanket so it surrounded his head like a hood and laid her head in the crook of his neck. "What were you doing?" she whispered. "I can't lose you again. I love you too much to lose you again."

Jo lay quietly, listening to Zane breathe and the fire snap. She tried to keep as still as she could and let her mind wander. All she could think about was how cold he still was and her terror. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand in the small of his back. "I was so angry with you. And if you think I'm going to promise to never be angry with you again, you're crazy." She pulled back and looked at his face again. "Please open your eyes and tell me that this is another one of Fargo's lame brained matchmaking ideas. Please tell me it's just a prank to get under my skin." She pressed her lips to his again, but he didn't respond to her. She laid her head back down on his shoulder and let the tears come.

What felt like hours later, she jerked her head up when Carter and Allison burst through the door. She hadn't even heard the car pull up. "Don't get up, Jo," Allison ordered. Jo lay still as Allison dropped to her knees and started examining Zane.

Carter stood off to the side, a worried look on his face. "What exactly happened, Jo?'

"I found him outside about 50 yards away from the cabin. He had taken his jacket off, so I'm guessing he'd been outside long enough for his mind to be affected by the cold. He was soaked; I think he slipped on the dock and fell into the lake."

Allison sat back. "His temperature is 96°; he's stable enough to move. Carter, can you get him to his bed? I want to start an IV immediately."

Jack nodded. He looked at Jo. "I'm guessing you're…"

"Naked?" she finished. "Not entirely, but close enough. Hand me the sheet on the couch." Carter complied. She laid the sheet on top of the blankets and used it to cover herself as she squirmed out from underneath. Carter pulled Zane's arm out from under the blankets and lifted him in a fireman's carry.

"Which way?" he grunted. Jo pointed to Zane's room. Carter turned and carried Zane off.

Allison touched her arm. "He'll be fine. Go get cleaned up." Jo nodded and picked up her clothes. She walked into her room and shut the door. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Dried mud was smeared on her face and her arms. She looked down at her hands. She'd cracked a couple of nails and had the beginnings of several blisters. Grabbing her robe and a clean pair of pajamas, she headed back out and into the bathroom for a shower. She turned on the water, dropped the sheet, and stepped in the shower. The hot water pounded on her skin and relaxed her tight muscles. She scrubbed herself quickly but thoroughly.

A few minutes later, she stood in the doorway of Zane's room, gnawing on her thumbnail. Allison saw her and nodded at Carter, who put an arm around Jo and walked her into the kitchen. They sat down at the little table. Carter took her hands. "He's sleeping. Allison is pumping some warm saline solution into his veins and that should help a lot."

"How bad is it?"

"Honestly, we won't know for sure until he can tell us exactly what happened and how long he was outside. He doesn't seem to have any other major injuries, though, so that's good." He let go of her and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you have any coffee?"

Jo nodded and started to stand up. Carter waved her down. "I'll make it." He got up and began opening cabinets. Jo rolled her eyes, got up, and pulled the coffee out from behind the coffee maker. She dumped the old filter and started a new pot. Carter grinned and opened the pot on the stove. "Ewwww, what is this?"

Jo peeked over his shoulder. "Probably part of what was supposed to be dinner." She walked over to the saddlebags in the living room and opened them up. "Thank you, Vincent." She pulled out a box of cookies and handed them to Carter while she started putting the groceries away. Vincent's special seals kept everything at the right temperature, so she wouldn't have to throw anything away.

Jo sat back down and grabbed one of the chocolate chunk cookies before Carter could eat them all. Allison came out of Zane's room, whispered something to Carter, and then sat down with Jo. "He's stable, but we're probably going to have to be here a couple of days. We can't move him too much yet, it might send him into cardiac arrest. And we don't have anything that could transport him back to GD. Mind if we impose?" She picked up a cookie and took a bite.

"What about Kevin and Jenna? And GD?"

"They're with the nanny. I can go back and check on them tomorrow after Zane wakes up. And GD will be fine."

Jo picked her cookie apart. Carter handed her a mug of coffee and sat down next to Allison. She looked at the two of them. "There's a third bedroom. I can move into the one with the bunk beds and you can have mine."

"Don't worry about us. We'll manage." Carter patted her hand. "What you should do is rest. You've had a very stressful day and we need you to stay healthy."

Jo shook her head and took a long drink of her coffee. "I want to help with Zane. I'm fine."

"That's what we thought you'd say."

Jo felt woozy. "What –" and everything went black.

She woke up in her bed, daylight streaming in. She kicked off the blanket, hit the bathroom, and shuffled into the living room. Carter was snoring on the couch. Allison walked out of Zane's room. "Before you say anything, you really needed your sleep."

"I suppose so."

"He's awake and asking for you." Allison smiled at her. "Be gentle."

Jo walked past her and into Zane's room. He was propped up on pillows, apparently clothed again. He smiled at her. "I hear we got naked together last night. It's a shame I missed it."

"_You_ were naked. _I_ was semi-decent. And nothing overly interesting happened." She leaned up against the dresser. "Maybe next time you won't be on the brink of death."

He smirked at her. "Next time? There's going to be a next time?" She raised an eyebrow at him. The smirk slowly faded from his face. "Jo… I'm really sorry. I should have told you about Fargo."

"And Zoe. She called me yesterday afternoon."

"Oh. Shit."

Jo cocked her head and let the corners of her mouth turn up. "I suppose it was romantic in a completely stupid way."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Oh, I'm extremely mad at you. But since I can't taze you," she walked over to the other side of the bed, "I'll have to show you how angry I am in other ways." She sat down, leaned over, and kissed him. His hand slid up her face and held her there as he deepened the kiss, tongue touching hers. She shuddered, pulled back, and lay her head down on the other pillow.

"I should make you this mad every day."

"Don't you dare." She shook her fist in his face. He grabbed it and kissed her knuckles.

"I went for a walk to see the stars after the rain cleared up last night. I wanted to remember how it felt to stand out there with you, seeing all the possibilities in the universe. I slipped on the dock and fell in the water. I remember dragging myself out and trying to get back to the cabin, but I guess I didn't make it. I remember hearing you talking to me, but I couldn't understand what you said."

She closed her eyes. "I was telling you not to die."

"I thought it was something like that."

They lay quietly together for a while. Jo turned on her side and looked at Zane. His eyes were closed. She saw something flash on his bedside table. Her – his ring lay there.

Eyes still closed, Zane said, "It was in my pocket. I keep it with me everywhere I go."

Jo lay back down and reached for Zane's hand. He slipped his fingers between his, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. She took a deep breath. "You proposed on Founders' Day."

"So I gathered."

"I freaked out and didn't answer you right away."

"I figured that, too."

Jo squeezed his hand. "Will you stop interrupting? I'm trying to tell you a story."

"Stories are always better if you begin at the beginning." He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

Jo smiled back. "It all started when Allison bought you from the Justice Department…"


End file.
